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History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week - John N. Andrews

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forbidden on that day. We now <strong>of</strong>fer direct pro<strong>of</strong><br />

that o<strong>the</strong>r days which on all h<strong>and</strong>s are accounted<br />

nothing but church festivals were expressly<br />

declared by <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>rs to be equal if not superior in<br />

sacredness to <strong>the</strong> Sunday festival.<br />

The "Lost Writings <strong>of</strong> Irenaeus" gives us his<br />

mind concerning <strong>the</strong> relative sacredness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

festival <strong>of</strong> Sunday <strong>and</strong> that <strong>of</strong> ei<strong>the</strong>r Easter or<br />

Pentecost. This is <strong>the</strong> statement:--<br />

"Upon which [feast] we do not bend <strong>the</strong> knee,<br />

because it is <strong>of</strong> equal significance with <strong>the</strong> Lord’s<br />

<strong>Day</strong>, for <strong>the</strong> reason already alleged concerning<br />

it."[34]<br />

Tertullian in a passage already quoted, which<br />

by omitting <strong>the</strong> sentence we are about to quote, has<br />

been used as <strong>the</strong> strongest testimony to <strong>the</strong> firstday<br />

<strong>Sabbath</strong> in <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>rs, expressly equals in<br />

sacredness <strong>the</strong> period <strong>of</strong> Pentecost -- a space <strong>of</strong><br />

fifty days -- with <strong>the</strong> festival which he calls Lord’s<br />

<strong>Day</strong>. Thus he says:--<br />

500

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